Verona

You know what can feel overwhelming? 

Trying to document three months of living and traveling around Europe, that's what.

And so, as I tend to do in most cases when I start to feel overwhelmed, I simply haven't begun.

But without a lot of words or explanations, I give you Verona.

One of our favorite Italian cities that we almost missed out on but now are so relieved that we got to see.

From a clock tower no less.

(Travel tip: clock towers are one of our very favorite next-to-free things to do in any European city. I promise, every city has one and they are always practically free. Usually they are less advertised and low in tourists so you are usually alone up there and they provide one of the best views of any city. We'd usually budget for about an hour and a half when we'd go, and we always try to be there on the hour (plug your ears), sometimes with a wee picnic and always with a camera.)

Outside of "Juliette's" balcony thousands of couples in love have left their initials using gum and graffiti on this wall. 
We joined them. Our's is the little green one by the band aid. 
So we could easily find it later of course. 

I never knew how much I always wanted to visit here.
It was easily one of the prettiest and most loveable cities!
Also, Ryan is a rockstar for driving all over Italy like a total pro.
This is no easy feat I tell you.
I mean, just look at how tiny these streets are.

We Ate Our Way Through Cinque Terre

European outings should not be taken too lightly or embarked upon without some sort of objective and purpose.

And so ours was excitedly decided upon while riding the train full speed toward our destination.

Our goal would be to taste something delicious in every village.

We would eat our way through Cinque Terre.

And ate our way through we did!

Pesto focaccia Pizza in Riomaggiore.

Pesto lasagna & spaghetti in Manarola.

Margarita pizzette and ciabatta in Vernazza.

Gelato in Monterosso.

Panini (& more gelato) in Milano.

Ryan even tasted a hand full of the salty water of the Mediterranean Sea long before we went swimming in it just to be sure of it's saltiness.
And a few other tasties were thrown in there for good measure.
Here's proof - as if you needed any.

best thing I ate there for sure. I was thinking of you, you would have been in heaven.

Look Mom, all the pizza is square. Turns out you were doing it right all along and didn't even know it!

second best thing I ate. can you see how crispy the broiled pesto top is? and the brown stuff isn't chocolate, it's a balsamic reduction. I'm salivating. 

Pesto anything was hands down my favorite.

The pesto from this region was to die for.

I don't know what exactly they do differently but it puts all other pesto (which I love) to miserable shame.

It was a delightful way to experience these coastal villages.

Not just because it was delicious (which it most definitely was) or because it added another dimension to our sightseeing (which it most definitely did) or because it was a lovely way to meet and speak with locals (which it most definitely was) but because these pizza and bread making artisans were up and baking at 3:30 in the morning to stock their shops.

So it seemed only appropriate to reward their dedication to their craft with our recurring solicitation. 

Love at First Taste

Italy (of course) offered up all sorts of her yummiest.

It wasn't just delicious, it was beautiful.
And we fell hard.

The vendor laughed at me shortly after snapping this shot of our freshly grilled panini's and said: "she didn't buy it to eat, she bought it to take a picture of."

He was only half right.